Combined scoop and riddle.



F. R. GRAHAM.

COMBINED SCOOPAND RIDDLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.16,1915.

1 ,1 96.775., Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

vFRANKLIN R. GRAHAM, 0F CLOVERDALE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

COMBINED SCOOP AND RIDDLE.

Specification of vLetters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1916.

Application filed December 16, 1915. Serial N o. 67,226.

To all whom t may concern: a

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN R. GRAHAM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Cloverdale, in the Province of British Columbia, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Scoops and Riddles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relatesto improved devices which may be employed as a scoop or transformed into a riddle, and has for one of its objects to simplify and improve the construction and increase the efliciency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device comprising a body having an opening with the'portions of theV body which define the opening in alinement and a filler for the opening with its edges closely engaging the edges ofthe opening and its faces in alinement4 with the faces of the body so that the device may be employed effectually as a riddle or screening implement and readily transformed into a scoop or shovel.

Another. object of the invention is to provide a device including' a body'v having a slatted opening and a filler member, and means for holding said'iller yin the opening with its faces in alinement with the adjacent faces of the body. v

With these and other objects in View, the

invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention: Figure- 1 is a plan view of the improved device; Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a portion of the body of the scoop illustrating its construction. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the ller member, illustrating the manner of connecting the filler member at one end to the body of the scoop.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

The body or load receiving portion of the scoop is of the usual form and includes a flat forward portion 10, upwardly and outwardly curving side portions 11-12 and outwardly and rearwardly curving rear por'- tion 13, the sides and rear merging into each other, with their upper and lower faces in alineinent transversely and longitudinally of the body, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A handle socket of a conventional form is connected to the body, as represented at 14,

lwith a portion of the handle 15 connected while their rearv portions are connected to the rearwardly and-upwardly curvingl rear portion of the body, as represented at 19, and are preferably curved to conform to the curvature of the scoop where they engage the curved portions jthereof. rllhe lower lines of the rod are thus maintained in alinement with the'adjacent outer or upper surfaces of the portions of the body of the scoop which surround the opening 16, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A filler member 20 engages in the opening 16 and completely fills the same and is curved to conform to the curvature of the rear portion of the scoop so that, when the member 20 is disposed within the opening, the scoop presents the appearance of a finished or ordinary scoop. The filler member is uniform in thickness throughout and conforms in thickness with the body, so that when disposed in the opening 16 the upper and lower .surfaces of the filler coincide with and form a continuation of the surrounding surfaces of the body. The member 20, as will be noted, bears against the under faces of the bars 17 and is thereby prevented from movementin one direction. The rear edge of the forward portion 10 of the body of the scoop is provided with recesses or sockets 21, while the forward edge of the filler member 20 is provided with forwardly projecting lugs 22 to engage in the sockets ico 21. The sockets are formed with rearwardly and downwardly sloping bottoms while the lugs 22 are correspondingly -inclined. lBy this means, when the filler member 20 is disposed in the opening 16, the inclined lugs 22 by entering the inclined sockets 21 produce a wedging effect upon the member 2O and force the same against the lower faces of the rods, at the lower end. Pivoted at 23 to the rear edge of the filler member 20 are button-like devices 24; which are adapted to be turned over the adjacent portion of the body, as shown in Fig. l, and thus lock the rear end of the filler member 20 in position. By this means, the lugs 22 and their sockets 21 coact with the button devices 24 to firmly support the filler memberin position.

By this arrangement, it will be obvious that a complete riddle device is provided by removing the filler member 20, while a complete scoop is provided by inserting the filler member 20. The improved device, when arranged as a riddle will be found very convenient in the garden for separating weeds from the earth and leaving the earth behind, or for handling potatoes 'and like vegetables and for similar purposes. When it is desired to use the device as an ordinary scoop, as for instance, in handling threshed grain, or for like purposes, the filler member 20 is attached, as before described.

By this means, a compound implement is produced which may be quickly changed from a riddle to a scoop or from a scoop to a riddle and operates with equal efficiency for both. The scoop may be of any desired size and of any suitable material.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. An implement of the class described comprising a scoop of uniform thickness and having an opening, a plurality of rods extending over the opening and secured to the body, the lower faces of the rods being in alinement with the portion of the inner face of the body contiguous to the opening, a closure for the opening of the body and of uniform thickness throughout and bearing against the lower faces of the rods with its faces in alinement with the faces of the body, and means for holding said closure within said openingA and against said rods.

2. An implement of the class described comprising a body of uniform thickness and having an opening, said body having sockets at one side of said opening and communicating therewith, the bottoms of the sockets being sloped toward the opening and secured to the body Vwith the lower lines of the rods in alinement with the upper face of the body adjacent to the opening, a closure for the opening corresponding in thickness with the body and bearing against the rods, the upper and lower faces of the closure being in alinement with the upper and lower faces of the body, lugs extending from the closure and engaging in the sockets with their lower faces sloping to conform to the sloping bottoms of the same, and devices operative to hold the closure at its opposite end within the opening and against the bars.

In testimony whereof, I aflix ture.

FRANKLIN R. GRAHAM. [ne] my signa- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

